NMI’s 1st Bank Robbery

The Issue: First armed bank robbery in the NMI. Paradise begins to see “big city” crimes committed right here at home.

It’s unthinkable for an island paradise, a relatively unsophisticated community, to make history this month by way of the first armed bank robbery last Friday afternoon.

For most people here, it’s an incident made for the movies only. It is no longer. This form of criminal activity has landed right here at home.

Before that, some tourists lost some $5,000 in personal property around the red district in Garapan. This, even with the assignment of police officers to patrol the area, daily.

The recent bank robbery turns peace and security in paradise into an issue of concern. Before this incident, there was a rash of poker joint robberies. While a suspect has been arrested, another big city crime is in the offing. Which bank would be next or large grocery store?

The Department of Public Safety needs the help of members of this community in the arrest and apprehension of suspects who violate peace and security, including the safety of people in and around banking venues.

It brings into our attention whether it is safe at all to withdraw money at night or during weekends on ATM machines throughout the island. Indeed, it sends goose bumps up our spine to even imagine being accosted by armed criminals demanding money just withdrawn from ATM outlets.

The banks may not be the only targets in this case. All major grocery and department stores must brace for it. It may give the security business some boost. But a little expense for security is better than no security at all. It seems paradise is headed for more theft and armed robbery.

Theft of personal property has forced people to equip their residential windows with unsafe metal grills. But then, is there really a choice in order to sleep peacefully at night if metal grills aren’t used for protection?

Vandals and thieves have made away with public property in recent months. The increase in these criminal activities is more the reason for community cooperation right here and now. If you have any information, please call Crime Stoppers and share what could just as well provide the lead in the arrest and apprehension of suspects. Let’s do it for the safety of our people island-wide.